Jackdaw’s boss warns that if the gas production is not allowed, there will be a winter fuel shortage

McCulloch said: “If I were the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, I would be looking very hard at where our next source of energy security is, and you’re standing on it.

“The wells are dug, connected. We are preparing the system. It will be ready for October 1.

“Jackdaw will play a vital role in this winter’s gas supply,” he said, providing energy security, jobs and taxes for the UK.

Environmentalists say Jackdaw will only produce two percent of the country’s annual gas needs over the farm’s lifetime.

Tessa Khan, executive director of the campaign group, said: “The UK government’s approval of new oil and gas fields is a huge betrayal of the British people.

McCulloch responded: “So we all watch the same news, and we see that.”

But what we are saying is that Jackdaw should not take that on his shoulder or take a very small part of it.

“It’s a very, very small fraction of the total global emissions.”